Ashland University installs flashing light at Claremont crosswalk

Ashland University crews installed flashing yellow lights at the crosswalk on Claremont Avenue at Jefferson Street on Friday.

The goal is to draw attention to the crosswalk, according to Steve Hannan, director of public relations at AU.

"We've been working with the city administrators to try to make some changes to that section," Hannan said. "It's for the safety of the students."

Community members often have complained throughout the years about students who cross Claremont Avenue and other streets on campus without yielding to traffic.

"It's been an issue for a number of years," Hannan said. "We try to stress that with the students, that they need to cross Claremont at the crosswalks. We work hard to try to communicate that to the students."

AU President Fred Finks wrote a letter to students that was published in The Collegian, AU's student newspaper, to address the importance of safety when crossing streets and to remind students to use crosswalks.

Issues relating to students and others crossing Claremont Avenue were highlighted when the city changed the speed limit between College Avenue and Smith Road to 25 mph instead of 35 mph in February to protect pedestrian traffic.

At the Feb. 19 City Council meeting, Duane Fishpaw, 1st Ward councilman, raised the question of lighting and visibility at the crosswalks after hearing from residents that they have difficulty seeing students in the crosswalks at night or early in the morning.

The city traffic committee has discussed adding lighting at the crosswalks on campus but opted at its last meeting to see what the university had planned before reviewing the situation and taking additional action.

The solar-powered flashing lights that now mark the Claremont Avenue crosswalk near Jefferson Street were paid for and installed by AU.